DUI case concludes for former sheriff’s lieutenant

A Washington County Sheriff's lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – A former Washington County Sheriff’s lieutenant was released from the Iron County Jail Thursday, having served his court-mandated jail time, and will now begin one year of supervised probation in a DUI case that led to his resignation from the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.

Last month, former Washington County Sheriff’s lieutenant Jason “Jake” Lynn Adams, 40, of Toquerville, pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol that resulted in a rollover of a patrol truck in February.

Adams submitted a statement to the 5th District Court on Nov. 21 in which he pleaded guilty to the DUI offense, a class A misdemeanor.

The incident in question occurred Feb. 9 when Adams was driving an unmarked patrol truck through Toquerville on state Route 17. Inside the truck were four of Adams’ children, each under the age of 16. At the time, they were heading to a nearby firing range. While en route to the firing range, the truck driven by Adams veered off the roadway and rolled down an embankment, coming to a stop on its roof. Neither Adams nor his children were seriously injured during the incident.

According to court documents, Adams failed field sobriety tests conducted by a responding Utah Highway Patrol trooper and was subsequently arrested for DUI. Blood samples were also taken at the time for testing.

Adams resigned from the Sheriff’s Office in March and pleaded not guilty to charges related to the crash in May.

As the case progressed, Mike McGinnis, Adams’ attorney, filed a motion to suppress potential blood evidence. According to the motion, McGinnis argued the blood samples were illegally taken and that Adams had been coerced into giving samples he hadn’t given consent for.

In his statement filed with the court in November, Adams said his blood alcohol level at the time of the incident had been 0.240 percent, which is three times the legal state limit of 0.08 percent.

According to court records, Adams was sentenced to serve a year in jail following the submission of his statement to the court. However, the sentence was stayed by Judge G. Michael Westfall, who sentenced Adams to serve 15 days in the Iron County Jail. An official with the Iron County Jail said Adams was released from the jail’s custody on Thursday.

As part of his sentence, Adams must pay a $1,500 fine at $150 a month. Following his stay in the jail, he has been placed on 12 months supervised probation, during which time he is to take and complete a life skills class, complete any recommend treatments, and not possess any alcohol.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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About the Author

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction, often telling people go left while he is pointing right. Numbers greater than five also confuse him.

Anyone care to look up a similar DUI case where a civilian/non-law enforcement officer with a blood alcohol limit 3 times the limit rolled a vehicle with 4 kids in it? I wonder if they only got 15 days in jail, a $1500 fine and a year probation?

I know people who have gotten much, much worse than this for stupid things like driving a child’s go cart on a dirt trail near their house after drinking a couple of beers. Try 60 days in jail and 7 thousand dollars in fines plus impounding/stealing the go cart. The cops have no shame. It’s a real case of in your face Joe public . Watch what we can do and get away with!

This is about the same fine as I have seen others assessed…learn more before you post. Also, the cost of this incident extends far beyond $$, according to past reports. He has to find a new life now. This man was a good officer, I know that personally, and is still a good man…he’s human.

Yep good man. Law Enforcer with his kids in a police vehicle and driving with a .240 alcohol read rolling his vehicle. I would hope he has learned to be a “Better Man” for his foolish actions….May his “New Life” exclude Alcohol from his life…

Ya but did they get off serving 15 days in jail? I think not. I’m not saying he is not a good man. He made a mistake, as we all have done in our own lives, but because he was an office does that make him exempt from dealing with the same legal consequences a regular citizen would have? He should be held to HIGHER consequences as he is supposed to be a leader, someone for the citizens to look up to and model.

A good officer ??? 3 times over the alcohol limit with 4 kids in the car?? Heading to a gun range?? I Believe anyone regardless of occupation would have to “find a new life now” but John q public would get that opportunity after 10 years in prison. First offense or not. What a joke! I think someone should check the d A ‘ s office…

Welcome to Washington County where cops can drive drunk, drive 100 mph on city roads, have sex with inmates and tazer people to death while getting little to no charges against them and accountability for their actions. Somehow they seem to dance around the penalties that the regular person would be charged.

Jake is a good guy, he made a stupid mistake, lucky he didn’t hurt anyone.. On the same token, losing his career is a sad thing, that in of itself is one heavy punishment, compounded by the public humiliation.. Jake was a good cop, he helped alotta people, he went above and beyond the call of duty for a friend of mine who’s daughter was murdered.. I know others he has helped as well, he was genuine, cared about others, loved his job, wasn’t an a$$hole like 90% of the cops are.. So my advice to everyone, don’t be judgmental, and don’t forget all the good he did for the community, the good far out ways the 1 bad.. Just so y’all know, first offense DUI is 2 days in jail, $1500 fine, drivers license suspended for 3 months, and 1 year bench probation.. He was punished pretty hard..

Let’s not forget all the people Jake had screwed over in his career. Besides I understand our beloved sheriff still has him on payroll at the county as a cosultant. I guess let’s make sure he still gets his retirement one way or another. As for the truck yes we tax payers get yo pay for it. Something else the sheriff will brush under the carpet because his beloved friend and fellow good ol boy deserves a break now doesn’t he.